SEVEN PRIORITIES, SEVEN years to go 1234567 PROGRESS ON ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY CAREN GROWN, GEETA RAO GUPTA, ASLIHAN KES International Center for Research on Women ICRW where insight and action connect ICRW MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS SERIES © 2008 International Center for Research on Women. All rights reserved. Sections of this document may be reproduced without the express permission of but with acknowledgment to ICRW. Design by Freedom By Design. SEVEN PRIORITIES, SEVEN years to go PROGRESS ON ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY CAREN GROWN DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY GEETA RAO GUPTA INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN ASLIHAN KES International Center for Research on Women ICRW where insight and action connect INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN International Center for Research on Women ICRW where insight and action connect 1345672 INTRODUCTION Halfway through the timeframe for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), 2 progress on MDG 3—to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment—has been mixed. There have been notable gains for women and girls in education and political participation since 2000, when the world committed to the MDGs. But in other areas, progress lags or cannot be assessed. With seven years until the 2015 deadline for achieving these goals, how can the world ensure success? To achieve MDG 3 action is needed to strengthen women’s capabilities, opportunities and security. From 2002 to 2005, ICRW co-chaired the U.N. Millennium Project Task Force 3 for Education and Gender Equality, which recommended seven strategic priorities that focus on education, health, infrastructure, employment, property ownership, political participation and reductions in violence. The task force also proposed 12 indicators to measure progress on these priorities (see Box 1). Data analysis of the indicators shows that clear progress has been made in enhancing women’s capabilities, especially in education and increasing women’s political representation in national parliaments and local governments. But much more needs to be done. Improvements in employment and women’s reproductive health have lagged. Progress cannot be measured because of limited or nonexistent data in several areas such as ownership of assets; unpaid work burdens resulting from inadequate provision of water, energy and transportation; and violence against women. 1 The enormous social and economic contributions that women make to the development process are central to achieving all the MDGs. The spirit of MDG 3 requires fundamental transformation in the distribution of power, opportunities and outcomes for both men and women, along with adequate financial resources to implement the interventions necessary for such transformation. This brief assesses progress toward MDG 3 by analyzing changes in the 12 indicators proposed by the task force and offers recommendations that can redouble global efforts to fulfill this worthy goal. Seven Priorities, Seven Years to Go PROGRESS ON ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND INDICATORS FOR MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 3* BOX 1 3 THE U.N. MILLENNIUM PROJECT TASK FORCE 3 FOR EDUCATION AND GENDER EQUALITY RECOMMENDED SEVEN STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND 12 INDICATORS FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT.** 1. Strengthen Opportunities for Postprimary Education for Girls GOOD PROGRESS Indicator 1: Ratio of female to male gross enrollment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education Indicator 2: Ratio of female to male completion rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education 2. Guarantee Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights SLOW PROGRESS Indicator 3: Adolescent fertility rate Indicator 4: Proportion of contraceptive demand satisfied 3. Invest in Infrastructure to Reduce Women’s and Girls’ Time Burdens INSUFFICIENT DATA Indicator 5: Hours per day (or year) women and men spend fetching water and collecting fuel 4. Guarantee Women’s Property and Inheritance Rights INSUFFICIENT DATA Indicator 6: Land ownership by sex (male, female or jointly held) Indicator 7: Housing title by sex (male, female or jointly held) 5. Reduce Gender Inequality in Employment SLOW PROGRESS Indicator 8: Gender differences in the structure of employment Indicator 9: Gender gaps in earnings in wage employment and self-employment 6. Increase Women’s Representation in Political Bodies SOME PROGRESS Indicator 10: Percentage of seats held by women in national parliament Indicator 11: Percentage of seats held by women in local government bodies 7. Combat Violence against Women INSUFFICIENT DATA Indicator 12: Prevalence of domestic violence * U.N. Millennium Project 2005. Taking Action: Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering Women. Task Force on Education and Gender Equality. New York: Earthscan Publications. ** The United Nations General Assembly adopted these priorities in 2005. However, the U.N. has not yet set benchmarks for assessing progress toward these priorities. As a result, they are not reflected in official U.N. reports on the Millennium Development Goals. Seven Priorities, Seven Years to Go PROGRESS ON ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY 1 GOOD PROGRESS STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: STRENGTHEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR POSTPRIMARY EDUCATION Postprimary education is associated with low fertility and child mortality, and 4 reduced vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. 2 The task force emphasized postprimary education because “secondary and higher levels of education have the greatest payoff for women’s empowerment, enhancing women’s own health, economic opportunities, positions in their families and political participation.” 3 INDICATOR 1: Ratio of female to male gross enrollment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education INDICATOR 2: Ratio of female to male completion rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education Primary education represents the first step in the education pipeline. The good news is gender disparities in primary enrollment and completion ratios have been substantially reduced, especially among low and lower middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. But gaps persist. Low female to male primary enrollment ratios remain in some low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger, less than eight girls are enrolled for every 10 boys (see Appendix Table 1). In the Middle East and North Africa, low income countries (Djibouti, Morocco, Sudan and Yemen) improved female primary enrollment rates but still lag behind low income countries in other regions. Moreover, low primary completion rates for both boys and girls exist in low and lower middle income countries in South Asia, lower middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and upper and lower middle income countries in the Middle East and North Africa (see Appendix Table 2). Most countries achieved gender parity in secondary education enrollment in 2005. But gender parity ratios were below .90 in 34 low and lower middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia (see Figure 1). Reverse gender gaps—fewer boys than girls—in secondary enrollment persist in 23 countries in Latin America, 12 countries in East Asia, and seven countries in the Middle East and North Africa, a worrisome trend that should be monitored. Progress toward gender parity in secondary completion cannot be assessed because data do not exist. 4 Seven Priorities, Seven Years to Go PROGRESS ON ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY SECONDARY ENROLLMENT PARITY RATIOS FIGURE 1 5 1.40 2000 2006 1.20 ) S Y O B / 1.00 S L R I G 0.80 ( Y T I R A 0.60 P F O O 0.40 I T A R 0.20 0 E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E W W W W W L L L L L L M M M M M M M M M M M O O O O O D D D D D D O O O O O O O O O O O L L L L L D D D D D D C C C C C C C C C C C I I I I I I N N N N N N N N N N N M M M M M M I I I I I I I I I I I R R R R R R E E E E E E W W W W W W O O O O O O L L L L L L EAST ASIA EUROPE AND LATIN MIDDLE EAST SOUTH SUB-SAHARAN PACIFIC CENTRAL ASIA AMERICA AND NORTH ASIA AFRICA AND THE AFRICA CARIBBEAN Source: UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2008 database Note: Country classification used in this brief follows that used by the World Bank where economies are divided by geographic regions as well as according to 2007 GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method. The income groups are: low income, $935 or less; lower middle income, $936-$3,705; upper middle income, $3,706-$11,455; and high income, $11,456 or more. Policies that have reduced the cost of schooling for poor households through scholarships for girls, cash transfers and fee waivers can be credited for much of the success achieved in increasing girls’ access to primary and secondary schooling. However, gender parity in access is only the first step. Achieving numerical parity between males and females is not sufficient because it can be achieved by lowering the bar for all. To strengthen opportunities for postprimary education by 2015, retention and educational quality also must be addressed. Seven Priorities, Seven Years to Go PROGRESS ON ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY 2 SLOW PROGRESS STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2: GUARANTEE SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS To ensure the health of women, children and families, women must be guaranteed 6 universal access to sexual and reproductive health services. The task force recommended tracking progress on this strategic priority by measuring adolescent fertility rates and the proportion of contraceptive demand satisfied, which combines unmet need and contraceptive prevalence. 5 INDICATOR 3: Adolescent fertility rate Adolescent fertility rates have decreased globally over the past decade.